As my regular readers know, I am writing from China these days, and have been doing so four years so far. Sometimes the blog becomes inaccessible to me, making it impossible to post regularly. In fact, starting in late September 2014, China began interfering with many Google-owned entities of which Blogspot is one. If the blog seems to go dark for a while, please know I will be back as soon as I can get in again. I am sometimes blocked for many weeks at a time. I hope to have a new post up soon if I can gain access. Thank you for your understanding and loyalty.

Search This Blog

Friday, December 19, 2008

Would you believe education researchers are? Grover Whitehurst, had intended a sort of “Consumer Reports” model when he founded the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) for evaluating all sorts of new-fangled education ideas. He probably should have talked to Consumer Reports first. They would have told him that companies do not like it when Consumer Reports give their products a bad rating. Apparently neither do education researchers, education program publishers and their lobbyists.

The WWC wanted to be the go-to “central and trusted source of scientific evidence for what works in education.” But obstacles arose.

Launched by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences in 2002, the What Works Clearinghouse was originally intended to be a Consumer Reports-style Web resource where educators could find reliable information on “what works” in schools. But early on, it developed a reputation as the “nothing works” clearinghouse because few reviews were posted on its Web site and even fewer pointed to promising strategies for improving schools.

“You can’t spend $30 million of the public purse and have something that is referred to repeatedly in the media as ‘nothing works,’ ” said Grover J. “Russ” Whitehurst, who is widely credited with having spearheaded the clearinghouse’s launch during his term as the IES director, which ended last month.

What were the main problems?

...Mr. Whitehurst said project delays resulted in part from disagreements over procedures for screening studies, legal threats from program developers whose work got low ratings from the clearinghouse, congressional lobbying that was critical of the clearinghouse, and a dearth of well-executed studies on which to base its reviews.

Fortunately, the WWC has cleared many of its earlier hurdles.

Over the last two years, the clearinghouse has picked up the pace of its work, publishing increasing numbers of reviews with “positive” findings, and producing new products, such as practice guides, that are targeted to practitioners. According to Jill Constantine, the deputy director of the clearinghouse, its Web site now gets 50,000 to 60,000 “hits” a month and offers 100 research reports, seven practice guides, and a series of new quick reviews, which vet studies that have been spotlighted in the news media.

Mark R. Dynarski, the clearinghouse director, noted that the seven practice guides have been downloaded “more times than the entire 100 reports.”

Susan Bodilly, the education director for the RAND Corp. of Santa Monica, Calif., described her research group’s Promising Practices Network, which examines the evidence on programs and policies aimed at improving children’s lives.

Ms. Bodilly notes the missing ingredient.

Yet where most such efforts fall short, said Ms. Bodilly, is in providing advice for practitioners on how to put programs in place and sustain them over time. “That’s the missing ingredient in this approach,” she added.

Just bringing answers to the educators is not enough to bring about changes in practice, added James H. “Torch” Lytle, a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and a former Trenton, N.J., school superintendent.

“We know hand washing reduces infections in hospitals,” he told the group. “Yet infection control continues to be a problem in hospitals.”

“If we can’t get hospital staff to do something as simple as washing hands,” he asked, how can teachers be expected to enact far more sophisticated changes in their own practice?

About twenty years ago, a researcher presented the Johns Hopkins CIRC literacy program at our educator day. We were given an elementary basal reader and we practiced customizing the approach to passages from the reader. The idea was that teachers should go back to their schools and customize their own materials. I did exactly that with my middle school science texts even though the program targets primary and elementary students. I instantly perceived the usefulness of the program for my students, 49 percent of whom were not native speakers of English. Every single one of my bilingual students dramatically improved and the achievement of native speakers of English skyrocketed.

I guess I was not the only teacher to recognize the program's advantages for bilingual education. The beauty of the program was its adaptability to any text.

The problem was that most teachers did not go back and “do likewise.” They were too busy or it was too difficult or something. So Johns Hopkins reformulated the program and in its new incarnation, district superintendents love to purchase it and teachers love to villify it. Today educators know CIRC as Success for All. As CIRC, it was nearly free. As Success for All it costs a small fortune.

About This Blog

A lifelong educator, my educational philosophy could probably be described as liberal traditionalism. Liberal traditionalism is an eclectic approach committed to utilizing innovative practices to help students acquire traditional subject matter. So what exactly constitutes innovative practices and what exactly should be included in “traditional subject matter”? What is the relationship between society and education? More...

Get Notice of Posts, Special Reports, Reviews, Etc.

Get Updates Via Email

Subscribe To

Available Reports and E-books

Thank You. A Little Affirmation Goes a Long Way.

Please note: Donations are not tax-deductible. Thank you.

Gadget

This content is not yet available over encrypted connections.

Cited Resources

From time to time, I refer to educational supplies, manipulatives or other resources. The provision of links to vendors is for your convenience. The links do not necessarily imply an affiliate relationship with School Crossing. School Crossing makes no warranties of any kind in regard to the vendors listed.

In 1998, it was Hispanic parents who clamored to get rid of bilingual education. Bilingual education was not a bridge but a jail. Hispanic...

FTC Disclosure Statement

To comply with the recent FTC ruling, I have created a comprehensive (I hope) FTC disclosure statement. This blog focuses on discussions of educational policy, reform, and practical consideration of teachers. Some of its features include lesson plans, special reports and reviews of publications and products. School Crossing derives only the most nominal little income from ads, reviews, or commissions.

The publications and products I review come from various sources. I may have purchased, or borrowed from a friend or the library, or otherwise have free access. Sometimes my reviews are based on demos the company provides online. Sometimes publishers send me books hoping I will adopt the book for classes I teach. Sometimes they just send me books out of the clear blue. Same with products. If I review something sent for the express purpose of a review, I will certainly tell you. I will tell you if I have been paid for a review. Note to publishers, purveyors and vendors, if you pay me for a review, do not expect that your payment will obligate me to write a positive review. My readers trust me to deliver an honest professional opinion untainted by crass commercialism. (But if you send me chocolate...no, just kidding).

I am NOT an affiliate marketer. I do not desire to be an affiliate marketer. However, if I believe strongly enough in a publication or product, I will provide a link in the “Cited Resources” section at the bottom of the page. There is an Amazon “store” also at the bottom of the page. If you click thorough to Amazon from the Amazon store, and make a purchase, I will receive a nominal commission. Amazon will also credit School Crossing for any purchases you make of unlinked items as long as you started your Amazon shopping at School Crossing. That's one easy way you can support School Crossing. You have my sincere gratitude.

Links in “Cited Resources” may or may not be affiliate links; the vast majority are not. Links within a post, whether front-paged or archived, will not benefit the site monetarily unless the link is also found in the “Cited Resources” section or within the Amazon “store,” both found at the bottom of the page.

There are some third party ads on the page. I do not personally endorse any product or service offered in third party ads.

Your email addresses are completely confidential. I know I hate it when somebody (including non-profits and charities) sells or discloses my email. I will never pass on your email address to any one.

I can only hope I have covered all the bases. The new FTC ruling is simply too vague and all-encompassing to ever be sure. If you have any questions or concerns, please drop me an email.